1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a structural panel or base member, and more particularly to a base member formed from plywood, metal or plastic that is processed so as to establish a unique method of forming a non-skid surface, wherein the finished produce provides a weatherproof and wear-resistant, non-skid-surfaced structure for areas subjected to heavy foot traffic and are generally exposed to damp, wet environments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The invention as disclosed herein is particularly suitable for solving various and difficult problems associated with surface structures which are designed for heavy pedestrian traffic, especially with respect to those surfaces associated with marine-dock systems and their surrounding structures. Several types of walking surfaces have been employed for this purpose, but with limited success. At present, there are two widely used surface materials, one being made from wood products and the other being constructed from relatively thin concrete or cement slabs. Wood surfaces are generally formed from a multiplicity of juxtaposed plank members positioned transversely across the deck or walkway.
A dock structure or walkway formed from cement slabs is usually defined by elongated, rectangular slab members having a thickness of from one to two inches. Even though cement surfaces are becoming more popular over wood surfaces in the construction of marinas and related floating-dock structures, there are two inherent problems that prevail. One of these is that concrete slabs are very heavy and add considerable weight to an already large and heavy structure, making them cumbersome and difficult to handle; and the other is that cement slabs used for dock fingers and walkways are not resilient, and have a tendency to crack when subjected to twisting and flexing in turbulent water caused by adverse weather conditions.
Hence, it can be readily understood from the following disclosure of the present invention that, when the end product thereof is employed, the above-mentioned problems are overcome.